Masastugi Uehara labored for the biblical seven years in obscurity,
doing a mostly takeout sushi trade for picnickers and young couples
from a dark wedge of a tiny Mountain View shopping strip. And
then, he saw the light of remodeling. And it was good.

Masa's Sushi still sites between Dittmer's Wurst-Haus and the
Six to Midnight liquor store, but now it is a place to dine in
comfort on excellent food presented beautifully, served cheerfully
and priced reasonably. It's not all sushi, either. Even kids will
find something to like. The teriyaki chicken dinner will easily
feed two schoolkids or one fishophoic adult. The chicken strips
are moist and tender, and the sauce is tangy/sweet but not gloppy.

The 26-seat restaurant, with seven seats at the counter, is still
intimate, and decorated only with wooden paddles with kanji and drawings on them, replicas of passports once used by travelers
from city to city in Japan, now sold as souvenirs. Regulars are
welcomed by name as they walk in.

Uehara, 35, who comes from industrial Shimonoseki, learned the
art of sushi in Yokahama restaurants.

We started with gyoza, the Japanese potstickers, ginger-flavored pork swathed in a
tin dough.

The miso soup that comes with the dinners also was lovely, with
fresh seaweed and tofu. The salad was the usual iceberg 'n' cucumber.

But the Spider Roll! Sliced into four giant discs, with the spindly
legs of soft-shell crab flying out from the two outer pieces,
the Spider Roll is finger food heaven.

You eat the whole crab, slightly smoky, wrapped with avocadoand
warm, sticky rice in seaweed and overlaid with salmon roe. You
mix wasabi and soy sauce in a little blue sphere painted like a fluke. You
laugh at the little fish dish.

In the realm of dishware, every category of food gets its own
plate ­ a tan fan, a bright blue oval, a bamboo plate set on feet.

The vegiterian among us had the sushi combo of cucumber roll,
carrot roll and avocado roll, 18 healthful pieces set into a diamond
pattern.

The Nigiri Deluxe also was terrific, with thin pieces of broiled
eel, yellowtail, white tuna, salmon, shrimp, and three pieces
of California Roll.

But the chef's sashimi plate was perfection. Uehara's selection
that night included yellowtail, a sublime fatty tuna called toro,
fresh and smoked salmon, live orange clams (still moving) and
octopus (slices of tentacle, delicious, really). Raw fish can
be very filling ­ perhaps because the oil is still in there and
not cooked out ­ and leftover sushi is dangerous, so order carefully.

Our server was very helpful in explaining diskes like Screaming
Chicken Roll (grilled, with lettuce) and the decor. Also she asked, if she could take away plates. She did not assume.

One suggestion, Masa: A better quality of napkin would make for
less mess on the table.